Sprinter brake problem found by chance

Routine state inspections didn't spot the issue, which was revealed during a visit on another matter

At a media event after the brake problems became public, Bob Young, general manager for operations and maintenance at Bombardier, points to one of wheel assemblies that contains rotors that are prematurely wearing out. [U-T file]
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

At a media event after the brake problems became public, Bob Young, general manager for operations and maintenance at Bombardier, points to one of wheel assemblies that contains rotors that are prematurely wearing out. [U-T file]
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

No measurements included

North County Transit District officials have said that at least one district employee and the maintenance subcontractor knew about the issues with the rotors for more than 18 months, but did not tell their respective superiors. The engineer says he did inform them, although not in writing.

The district’s preventive maintenance records gave no indication of any problems with the brakes.

Bombardier, which provides maintenance for the Sprinter vehicles and track, is a Canadian aerospace and ground transportation corporation with worldwide operations. It partnered with Veolia Transportation in 2007 to win the operation and maintenance contract for the Sprinter.

State inspectors noted in their March 1 report, during which they first discovered the issue with the rotors, that none of the Bombardier’s preventive maintenance forms documented any abnormalities to the rotors.

They also did not include measurements of the rotors, which could have helped state inspectors discover the issue sooner.

District officials said they are trying to determine why this was the case.

“The larger issue in this instance was the lack of reporting on the inspection reports that would have flagged the premature wear, and the failure by the NCTD rail maintenance engineer to report the rotor issue and to request funding to address the problem, and the failure to make sure the inspection reports submitted by the contractor reflected the problem,” NCTD spokeswoman Deborah Castillo said.

The Watchdog called and emailed Bombardier’s local mechanical manager Brian Carroll seeking comment, and did not receive a response. A phone call to Bombardier’s transportation unit spokeswoman was not returned.

Other agencies include rotor measurements on their inspection records, said Christopher Chow, a spokesman for the Public Utilities Commission.

The transit district’s maintenance report is essentially a checklist of the parts of the train that crews are supposed to examine, with a space on the first page for workers to detail any problems uncovered during the inspection.

The Transit District provided a sample of the maintenance reports. Next to the section that details how rotors are to be inspected, maintenance workers wrote the code “534,” which indicated that they checked the rotor measurements and found they met the manufacturer’s specifications.

When asked about the district’s confidence in Bombardier’s maintenance and what it has done to rectify any of the issues, Castillo said those questions would be answered during an ongoing investigation.

“These are good questions that as we investigate the incident NCTD will let the incident investigation facts and findings direct us to those answers when it is completed,” Castillo said. “To comment and provide conclusions at this time would be premature.”